>> more trouble nor new jersey governor chris christie, claims that he did know traffic lanes were being closed down as political payback. plus the seedy side of the super bowl, federal authorities saying the sex trade follows the sporting event wherever it goes >> deadly dose - a tapted batch of heroism hit the streets. >> i'm looking at the sidelines,

and i see five hands up. it's one quarter. >> a former pro football player seeking a new and experimental treatment to heal a career of concussions. >> good morning to you, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. new jersey governor chris christie on the hot seat once again, new revelations into the bridge gait controversy that indicated that chris christie knew what was going on. in september port authority appointee ordered the closure of lanes heading to fort lee. the town's mayor said it was retribution for not endorsing the election bit. chris christie denied knowledge of the traffic study. in december david wildstein resigned and had to testify before the state assembly.

chris christie issued a policy after emails revealed that the lane closures were political pay back. david wildstein's lawyer says he has proof that chris christie knew about it. >> it's the eve of the super bo bowl, the first in new jersey. the timing couldn't be worst for chris christie. of the leading newspaper saying if the allegations prove to be true chris christie must resign. >> new jersey governor chris christie ignored reporters questions as he left a birthday party for howard stern. a lawyer for the former port authority official behind the george washington bridge traffic scandal releasing a letter, claiming the governor knew all

about the closures. in the letter david wildstein's lawyer says: >> and the letter described the lane closing decision as: >> the lane closings were allegedly hatched by government staffers as payback for fort lee mayor who refused to endorse chris christie. on-january the 9th chris christie repeatedly denied knowing anything about it. >> had no knowledge or involvement in the issue, in its planning or execution. and i am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. >> new jersey assemblyman, gordon johnson says he never

believed the government. >> i was suspect of the inner circle of the governor, not knowing about this. >> david wildstein was appointed by chris christie, and resigned from his $150,000 post. he is the one who exchanged emails with chris christie's former deputy chief of staff. she emailed: >> chris christie fired kelly and vowed to take action if other senior staff members knew of the closing. in a statement the governor's office said: >> and how all of this could effect chris christie's chances of running for president in 2016 remains to be seen. his approval ratings in new jersey have taken a hit.

he is still popular among his constituents. >> thank you, that report from fort lee new jersey. >> meanwhile president obama is reportedly planning on travelling to saudi arabia in march, a trip designed to mend relations with a long-time u.s. ally. the president will seek to pacify saudi concern of a deal the u.s. struck with iran. saudi arabia expressed frustration that the u.s. is not doing nor to support syrian rebel forces. >> a leak by former contractor edward snowden shows editor of "the guardian" destroying documents that edward snowden sent to them. the broig ordered -- british government ordered the paper to turn over the documents and legal action if the leaks were published. they watched the journalist destroy the computers in the

"guardian's base: >> secretary of state john kerry is meeting with top opposition leaders of ukraine in germany. they want the west to demand the ukrainian government stop its use of violence. we have this report from a protest leader who claimed he was abducted and tortured. the images may be graphic and disturbing. >> when the police arrived to arrest him opposition activist dmytro bulatov was recovering in intensive care, a matter of hours after surgery. >> protesters and members of parliament were on standby to prevent him being taken into custody. including vitaly klitschko. >> translation: absolutely absurd things are happening. we are on the ground floor of the hospital. a large number of interior mirnyi ministry officers are

trying to get through to serve a notice. >> dmytro bulatov dumb bled through the city, bloodied and beaten with climbs he had been abducted and tort stured. >> there's not a spot in my body that hasn't been beaten. i couldn't tell who they were. the accent was russian, i'll tell you more later. now i cannot see well because i have been in darkness for so long. >> dmytro bulatov is a member an an auto maidan movement, a group of car owners leading protests. fellow activists are determined to carry on the struggle. >> personally i'm angry about what happened. we are happy dmytro bulatov is alive. that's the main point. we have no idea who did this. we are determined to find out. suspicion falls on the ukrainian

authorities, who it's claimed used violence and intimidation against protesters. >> dmytro bulatov is one of three activists whose disappearances shocked the protest movement and the country, especially after another activist's body was found in woodland outside the ukrainian capital. some pro testers are running military scil camps, anything to gain confidence in the face of police brutality. international pressure is growing. a new report by human rights watch revealed that ukrainian police have assaulted and injured medical workers whilst trying to disperse street protests. they are calling for an investigation into human rights offenses. >> vitaly klitschko will meet secretary of state john kerry in germany.

people want plans for a new leadership but viktor yanukovych at the helm. >> negotiations between the government and the opposition are at a standstill. the president took a sick leave. >> protests in thailand turned violent, a day ahead of elections. heavy gunfire was heard where protesters clashed with government supporters, calling on the resignation of the country's prime minister. several were injured, we'll have a live prorp from thai land. it's been three weeks since the toxic chemical spill left hundreds of thousan hundreds of thousands west virginians high and dry. there's fear that the water is still not safe. >> the trickle of the mountain spring was what maria sought when moving her family here

13 years ago. >> so the kids could play in the creek, we wanted the grandkids it play the way we played. >> as it turns out the water flowing from lambert's tap was less than pure, harmed by the coal which fuels their economy. by 2007 maria says people were getting sick, including six living on a single street, who developed brain timers. high levels of arsenic and other toxics were reviewed. when coal is refined, the waste, known as coal slurry was pumped behind dams called impoundments. state officials disputed the groundwater was contaminated at the hands of mining operations. researchers found otherwise. >> they would dump that stuff underground by the billions of gallons, and we had no idea. had no idea whatsoever that they were doing that. or that there was a permit

issued for it. we didn't know any of that stuff. >> in 2008 residents filed suit against two mining companies. g the suit alleged coal slurry leached through the earth contaminating drinking water. locals entered into a no-fault settlement. residents think publicity from the lawsuit let officials to abandon their wells. today many still do not drink that water. >> here she is, a little girl there she is when she passed away. >> years of exposure it the chemicals claim her life too soon and she refuses to take chances. >> none of the lines were changed, the hot water heater. that water is in our lines,

coming through. i just don't trust it. >> after what the town went flow maria lambert has little faith the spill in charleston will change environmental regulations in the mountain state. then you find out the government is supposed to be the keepers of the castle or the land. or allowing all of this to happen. >> she is using her voice, advocating change in a place where the economy and the environment depend on each other for better and for worse. >> a senate subcommittee will here testimony in washington on the chemical spill. >> the keystone pipeline in the hands of john kerry. the oil pipeline between the u.s. and canada would have a limited impact on the environment much over the next

90 days federal authorities will decide if the project is in the nation's best interest and this line with climate strategy. john kerry will make the final decision. >> u.s. senator bob casey reaching to federal officials to fight a drug problem. he sent a letter to the dea asking for support to bring those responsible for selling heroin in pittsburg. there's a surge in heroin overdoses in pittsburg. >> authorities in pittsburg are calling it an epidemic. heroin laced with a powerful pain-killer has been sold on the streets. the high can be deadly. it comes in different names. last week four people within 24 hours died after overdosing. and from there the death tall continued to climb. saturday when i had four and

sunday when i had three, i knew that i was hitting some major part of an overdose crisis. >> health officials issued an alert. by monday 20 deaths were reported. >> we are find that it it contains a synthetic open identified called fenn tan ol, it's seven to 100 times stronger than morphine. >> this doctor heads a rehab facility. if warned of the dangers some drug abusers take the chance. >> if people die of something commonsense should tell you to stay way way. because of the nature of addiction, people believe that that is the good stuff, the strong stuff. >> a little over 100 people live here. the medical examiner says in the past couple of years more people have died here from drug overdoses than whom sides and

traffic accidents combined. >> carmen understands the dangersers of heroin. he lost his 20-year-old son sage to the drug two years ago. >> we were devastated. we were devastated. i couldn't imagine. i didn't know what rirn looked like. >> today he shares the story of his heart breaking loss with other. >> i hope to accomplish creating awareness. compassion and action. those are the three words. >> pittsburg police are working closely with local, federal and country law enforcements to find where a deadly batch of heroin is coming from. some arrests have been made. over 6,000 have joined sage's army, a foundation he created to support others struggling from addiction, before it's too late.

>> on friday the chief medical examiner of maryland issued a statement warning of an illicit drug, blaming it for 37 state-wide deaths since september. californian officials turned off the water faucet, announces no reservoir water will be delivered. it affects the silicon valley to the los angeles basin, and the agency is taking the measure because of drought conditions of more than 25 million res dent will have to rely on other sources. >> and not much relief for the west. for more on the morning national forecast let's bring in meteorologist eboni deon. >> there's hartley any relief in sight. where we are finding the precipitation, it's really not coming in to the hard-hit areas that are drought stricken to the

western areas. this is where we are dealing with extreme, dry conditions across the west. what we have been dealing with is a ridge of high pressure stuck in place over the long haul. what it does is deflects storms from moving in and they go up and over the ridge, missing the western u.s. we have been devoid of rain and snow. we have a few systems moving in, bringing welcome snow into the areas. we are watching an area of low pressure as we get into the day on sunday and monday. it will skirt the coastline. expecting a few light rain showers hitting the western areas. into the mid west we are not lacking for the precipitation. snow is falling. we'll show you a live view of where the snow flakes are coming down and roads are covered. it will be a slow go for the travels across the midwest,

going flow today into sunday. we have a number of advisories in place, stretching from canvas and missouri, and includes parts of michigan. >> meanwhile, a dark side to the super bowl. federal officials say the sex trade follows the game from city to city. plus, what is means to be middle class in americans, why so many say they are being squeezed out. >> that was the best moment of my life. >> one man's hike up a vol cane j ended a snow storm rescue.

>> as america's most-watched sporting match is about to kick off. super bowl is a magnet for sex traffickers and they are putting officials on the look out. we have this report. >> a superbust before the super bowl, designed to send a

message - law enforcement is cracking down on prostitution days before a business bon ansa for the sex trade. 18 were arrested in an overnight sting operation, a carefully crafted campaign. beyond conventional prostitution transacted between willing buyers and sellers is an evasive problem, the tracking of young women for the sex trade. thousands of them. the internet is the number one platform where pimples buy and sell women and children. individuals are made to appear like they are working alone when they are forced to profit suit themselves. it's labour, traffic labour as well. it happiness all sorts of ways. they drive across, commute, take the sub way. as many as 10,000 girls and

women were trafficked to miami. carol worked to fight child sex trafficking. numbers are hard to verify. >> it's a hard industry. i don't think we have a good count about how many were trafficked. that said, there's a lot of awareness raising. >> attention is what initials are trying to gain. spotlighting the issue. the message - be on the look out. >> law enforcement can't do it alone. we have an aggressive outreach awareness. >> that's why it includes hotel workers, airport employees. to cape an eye out and report it to authorities. part of an effort to clean up a problem plaguing the scene each year and doesn't go away when the game ends and the big lights are turned off.

>> anti-trafficking advocates says sex ads have doubled and are expected to triple by sunday. >> president obama is shaking hands with business leaders to help american long-term unemployed. the top ceos are agreeing to hiring policies. it shouldn't discriminate, and nor should the deposit. >> we engaged all sizes all around the country. committing to a set of hiring policies, making sure recruiting and screening practices don't disadvantage folks that have been out of works, to establishing out of door policy. k, it's only right that the federal government lead by example. the president announced that the labour department will distribute $150 million in grants to help workers develop the skills they nee. >> the middle class is front and

center on capitol hill where the president said many are struggling to make ends meet. ali velshi gives us an indepth look. >> on monday al jazeera america starts a year-long conversation on america's middle class - rebuilding the dream. nine out of 10 americans identify themselves as in or aspire to be in the middle class. almost all americans agree that the middle class is squeezed after job losses, rising costs and stag wages. stood's middle class is under pressure. i feel like imunder pressure, and there's no way to go. >> one little set back and you are both going to sink. 44% of americans say they belong to the middle class, down nine points from 35% of americans identifying as middle class in 2008 when the recession hits. millions of middle class

families found themselves under water on their loans or facing foreclosure. millions more discovered that a college degree is not always enough to guarantee prosperity in the future. soring future debt makes it harder to move up the economic ladder and bolster the middle class. >> we called the bank. they wanted to know how much student loan we had, we wouldn't be able to refinance. >> america's middle class is made up of households with incomes between $40,000 and $100,000. based on our analysis the middle class consists of middle income families with similar dreams and aspire ailingses, a secure job, owning a home, access to good health care and a college education for their children. add to that time off for vacations and the ability to save enough to live comfortably during the retirement. for many middle class families

these things are harder to achieve. >> to achieve the american dream is difficult. >> it turned into a nightmare. rebuilding the dream is crucial for all of us. the most important part of a robust economy is the middle class. spending create strong demand and desperately needed tax revenue. without a strong middle class america's economy will falter. we kick off the coverage with an hour-long show. i'll be joined by nobel prize winning economist james harper, personal finances experts, it's a mi.d bag, worth watching. >> wash america's middle class, rebuilding the dream, beginning monday 7:00 pm eastern. >> coming up attacks on christians. one man's harrowing story of what happened in the middle of church. it's no secret.

vodka is big in russia. research shows it is affecting the life span of russian men. >> i'm on the spied line trying to get the call from the coordinator. i see five hand, one coordinator, and five hands. >> life after football, the alternative treatment used to treat the long-lasting effects of concussion. >> i'm mark morgan, the n.f.l.'s first cold-weather super bowl will be held at met life stadium. will there be more cold weather superbowls. we have a live report coming up.

>> welcome back. i'm morgan radford, live from new york city. these are the stop stories - new allegations in chris christie bridge-gate scandal.

one man says chris christie knew about the lane closure. ukraine opposition leaders meet with secretary of state john kerry in germany. >> president obama is reportedly planning on travelling to saudi arabia in march, a trip designed to amend relations with long-time u.s. ally. the president will address saudi arabia concerns over the deal. the u.s. struck with iran. >> explosions and gun fire in thailand's capital broke out. three people have been injured. the violence comes as opposition protesters comes as a final rally is held ahead of an allegation. it's a high stakes vote. it will decide whether the prime

minister will govern. protesters called for yingluck shinawatra to step down. they are boycotting. wayne hayes is at a political center in bangkok. >> yes, well, security officials had warned this part of bank conduct, laksi in the north of the city could be a flash point, could see violence on election day. here we are on the eve of the election, and the fears have been realised. anti-government protesters have been camped here for a couple of days at a government office, inside their deposit office. there were ballot papers due to be distributed to polling booths on sunday morning inside the election to start. those protesters wants to prevent that from happening. they have sealed off the area. they were calling in reinforcements to help them with that. at the same time there was a pro-government group in the area threat nippings to march upon

the office. that is when the violence started, the two sides trading a lot of gunfire. as you mentioned some have been injured. at the moment there's respective sides pulling people back from the intersection in laksi where the gunfire broke out. it's been a tense night leading into the election. >> if protesters follow through on threats to disrupt the polling, how effective can the election be? >> well, that is the big question. obviously the protesters that have been on the streets for some three months don't want the election to happen. they won't recognise the results of the election. the democrat party who superiors what the protesters are trying to achieve is not taking part in the election. there's certain to be legal

challenges even if it takes place around the country. there could be a case that the election is declared inval eyed as happened before because of the disruption. there are many questions surrounding the process. not just in bangkok, but other parts of the country. questions that we hope to have answered. wayne hayes reporting from bangkok. thank you for being with us. >> eight were killed in religious violent in nigeria, including a christian family of seven. more than 40 have been killed this week when gunman stormed into a catholic chaurch. authorities suspect that boko haram is behind the attack. >> this is one of the few people who survived when arm men raided st. paul catholic church in waga

chakawa. this man had been sitting in the back in the corner, and crawled out when the violence started. >> translation: they circled the church, came in and fired. people started to run. especially women and children. they kept firing. some of us went into the bushes, and they followed us with vehicles and kept killing us like dogs. they didn't see anything, they did not see who we were or why, they opened fire and some of them were dressed like law enforcement agents. >> no one claimed responsibility for the attack, but it looks like the work of boko haram, the group that want a strict form of islamic law imposed across the country, they have been behind hundreds of similar attacks. after attacking the chun, the militants raided the village and began to burn, to loot and destroy homes. you can see people's pots and

pans and some of the remnants of those homes, villages fled from the homes, into the bush. some survived, some died along the way. >> those that did escape without injuries, they are homeless and living on handouts. this woman was in the church during the attack. her husband and son were killed. i had to run and leave some of my children behind. attackers got one of my kids. they hit him on the head. he died. they chased my husband into the bush and killed him. for three days they looked for his body. they found him on the fourth day and killed him. >> thousands were deployed to the region. president good luck jonathan declared a state of emergency. there was a decrease in attacks, but now there has been an

increase. soldiers don't come into the veil ges, but patrol the highways, leaving them vulnerable. the new chief of defense promised the boko haram insurgency will end by april. if it doesn't happen, there may be more attacks and more people killed, injured and displaced. >> boko haram is known for attacking christians, and the translation of their name means western education is forbidden. >> in germany, ban ki-moon called on the u.s. and russia to ensure that the syrian and russian opposition return for talks. they called on both sides to return for talks with a sense offerbestness. hayes brown national security reporter joins us, in washington d.c. thank you for joining us. we understand the first round of

talks are over. where do we stand, what have we accomplished. given how the bar was tried to be set low by all participants, it's amazing in clearing it, they managed to nudge it. we came out of geneva two with both sides talking to each other, which is something we have not seen yet in the conflict. on the other hand, in terms of goals of achieving things on the ground for the syrian people, we come away with not so much. >> the talks are scheduled pick up on february the 10th. what needs to happen to make sure the talks are a success. >> we need the syrian government commit to attending. the opposition said they'll be there on february 10th, but the government has yet to agree to it. between now and then we need to see an agreement from the syrian government to actually take care of the people on the ground in terms of humanitarian aid.

that was hoped to be achieved. we have yet to see happen. the assad regime has yet to allow aid into syria, and the u.s. accused his government of delaying the remove of weapons, what can we realistically expect him to give up. >> during these first rounds of talks, we saw some food aid delivered to the district in damascus, which is one of the most heavily hit areas by the lack of aid travelling through the country. but some say that this shows that the assad government could turn on the aid. in terms of feeding people, and making sure that syrian people don't starve, we are kind of waivering on that. in terms of chemical weapons deal, we saw the secretary of state john kerry go from praying the bashar al-assad -- praising the bashar al-assad government to threatening them with

sanctions in the u.n. security council should they not adhere to the deal. it's a wait and see thing now in terms of the chemical weapons, and whether they pick up the base. they have until june 30th, to get all the chemical weapons out of country. >> speaking of the wait and see game, is assad's removal from power off the table. >> for now, yes. the opposition doesn't really have the strength to get him out of office. with the chemical weapons, and aid that we see, it's becoming harder and harder for the community to see him with a legitimacy, which is troubling given the situation on the ground, which shows assad's in control of the country. it's a bit of a balancing game.

>> thank you so much for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> a carter of all russian men die before reaching the age of 55. after a new study they think they may have found their answer - vodka. >> vodka has been part of the social fabric of russian life for 600 years. today, for a growing section of the population, the party has gone on too long. at a wedding the couple toast their future with vodka. a drink that knollos them through their lives, divorce rates are soaring. alcohol the cause. a study confirms involved coe is the major -- vodka is the major cause of high desks in russian men. 25% of russian men die before reaching 55, due to heavy

drinking. to put that into perspective the rate is 7%. >> there are only alcoholics here. so many. >> first of all, vodka is so drink the the cheapest 40 proof drink, $1 a bottle. >> russian people drink a lot. they want to forget about their every day problem, the problems with politics, family and it seems to me when they drink, they forget their problems. >> it's not just the vodka, it's the lifestyle of persist eptly heavy drinkers throwing up drink related factors. violence, suicides, alcohol poisoning, accidents, traffic accidents. russia's love affair with alcohol comes at a cost.

>> 151,000 people in russia was asked how much they drank. they were followed for a decade. >> translation: drinking a lot of vodka is typical. in english it is bin g drinking. it is this consumption that is a cause of death. >> president yetin's drunken outings showed he was no role model >> in 2006, anti-drinking campaigns were broadcast on state television. consumption of spirit fell by a third. in a country where average life expect si for men is 64, vodka takes the lives of a carter of all men before they reached 5, and that could prove sobering. peter sharp al jazeera in moscow.

>> russia ranks among the lower 50 countries for live expect si. >> mark morgan is at the met life stadium for the super bowl. how are you doing out there? >> i'm good. good morning, it's the n.f.l.'s biggest weekend super bowl 48, seahawks and broncos here at met life stadium. the weather has been a major concern - will it rain, will it snow, will it be cold? well, it turns out there won't be much precipitation, the temperatures above normal. n.f.l. commissioner yesterday healed the state of the league addressed, and asked about the lead up to this super bowl and the possibility of cold weather super bowls in the future. >> well, things have gone well in new york, because of the people's commitment, the people who put the bid together did a fantastic job, led by the two teams, the jets and the giant. they have fulfilled every one of those commitments.

the local officials found solutions to problems and been creative and done a great job and that's why we have a successful event. whether you are in denver or new york or in houston or arizona next year. these events are complex the they take a tremendous amount of planning. that's why we select super bowl sights in advance. we get to work on it. it's a team concept. we have to work closely with our people, with the local officials and making sure that we do it in the right way. i understand that there's a lot of focus on the weather. i like to think there'll be focus on the game. i think it will be a great super

bowl. >> the commissioner discussed a variety of topics. gloibleisation of the n.f.l., and expanded replay. >> if the weather is bad this week, which team does that favour? >> well, as i said, the main issue for both quarterbacks, let's talk about that, would be wind. if it rains a bit, that may affect the broncos more than the seahawks, they like to run the ball, the broncos pass more. seven years ago in miami, in the super bowl peyton manning led the cults to win over the bears. it was a downpore and manning was 25 of 38 off 247 yards. he has performed well in the rain. it may be a no mun intended, awash as far as the weather is concerned if we get a bit of precipitation. thank you so much for being out there in the cold for us.

>> while the super bowl score bored has much of the country's attention, the n.f.l. scrutinised the long-term brain damage that many suffer after finishing their time on the field. we report on a new therapy that some are trying. >> in a room fall of giants and tough guides, it's the voice commanding tanks. >> willie was a safety with the kansas city chiefs, training current and propossibilityive players with the n.f.l. >> he delivered hundreds of hits. some left them whoozy. >> i hit somebody. i'm looking to the sideline getting the call and i see five hands up. one coordinator, but five hands. >> now, years later he fears what effects the hits may have on his future. >> there are times when my wife

reminds me, make sure you have the key and wallet. a little piece of doubt creeps in "is this anything to do with concession?" that doubt let him to look into alternative treatment. hyperbaric oxygen therapy. dr alfred johnson says the there wery can speed up healing processes with highly pressurised oxygen in the chamber, potentially reversing damage done by hits to the head. studies on whether it works is inconclusive. ex players are trying it. some prosports teams have oxygen chambers. most of the players are older players that have the traumatic years ago and their brains are now deteriorating. the treatments are between 60 to 90 minutes long. inside the chamber oxygen is

delivered to the body at a rate of five times greater of what you would get outside in the open air. >> the healing increased. you can get them back functioning a third faster. >> i feel i have a lot more air. >> energy that comes at a cost. not typically covered by insurance. full-therapy yip treatments can cost patients $10,000. >> and even if it were covered, pile says his insurance through the n.f.l. ran out five years after he stopped playing. pile doesn't have side effect from the bell ringers sustained during his playing days. >> you hope it doesn't come to that point. have you to take measures to protect yourself going forward. >> measures he and others hope will protect them down the road. >> according to the n.f.l. more than 200 players suffered concussions this past season alone. coming up, fire and ice.

a bizarre fore of survival. a man hikes in hawaii, to become trapped on top of a volcano and stuck in the middle of a snow storm. >> india - the people are launching their first monorail to get people around dooum buy. >> and a look at chicago, where the snow is falling. dean is back with the forecast around the country.

>> a beautiful shot of new york city this saturday mark. look at the skyline, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford coming to you from the big apple. a hiker rescued from the top of a hawaii volcano during the middle of a snow storm. first a look at the snow storm. >> mark morgan, we are watching

for the snow coming out across the midwest. not the critical areas that we are watching for the big games, that is the good news, for those of you this morning, we have the snow stretching across missouri, once you get to the central missouri, it's a mix. the roads will be slick that is correct to the freezing rain. chicago, it's snow. we could see 7 inches when it's all said and done. notice the track where the snowball will accumulate. great news here. looks like we'll keep it on the dry side for the first half of the weekend. game day we expect to see a little in the way of rain. it will be hit and miss. light rain shous. not expecting it to be a washout. things change overnight sunday and monday. temperatures have been mild. the moisture that we are seeing,

although it is showing rain it's cloud cover and that's what we'll see. with half of the rain across central florida, now arse of fog and drizzle. >> back to you. >> thank you so much. >> this next story of survival comes from the top of a val cano in hawaii. a hiker stranded for two days during a snow storm. the weather came over so fast he wasn't able to find his back pack. alex spent the first night with the clothes on his back, a water bottle and a cell phone. park rangers rescued him after finding his carat the bottom of a trail. >> this is the best moment of my life. essentially if i had to walk down, i would have made it, it would have been another three or four days. >> check this out. alex says this incident will not stop him going on another hike. >> it's an historic day for

india where the country launches a monorail. the first phase has been completed. the system is supposed to redues commuter congestion on the roads. >> all aboard mumbai's monorail network is open for business. the first is india. the plan to have as many as eight lines. the the financial capital of the country has an old railway net york. over 6 million commute in and out of the city in rolling stock. the trains are old, but full most of the time. the first phase of the monorail is complete. the second is under construction. tickets cost as little as five u.s. cents. an affordable price for everyone, with air conditioned carriages and enough room for all.

it may have been two years overdue. the public like what they see. >> i have never sat in a monorail, not on the metro in delhi. this was very nice. millions of vehicles use the roads daily, this is a constant problem in a small area of 438 square kilometres. the alternative way to travel is by looking up. >> this four-car monorail has the capacity to carry 560 people. it feeds into the suburban mooum bip railway network. people that live close buy feel that it doesn't benefit them. some local residents are critical of the route and location for stations. >> i live close to the monorail. but if you see where the route is going to, i don't think it's

connecting to the real commuter, where they live and work. >> the authorities say they have made the right choices. >> we have had indicated that most of the people are in the areas. >> the monorail is expected to carry between 150 to 300,000 passengers a day. that is a significant number in a city of over 20 million, the long-term hope is that they can change people's habits and perceptions of public transport in india's financial capital. >> so today marks the beginning of black history month and come monday anyone with $0.49 can buy a shirley chisolm postage stoomp. in 1968 she was the first black

woman elected to congress. she ran for president winning 152 delegates to the national convention. >> at the end of the first hour here is what we are following - chris christie under the microscope again, a lawyer claiming that christ consider knew traffic problems were caused as political payback on his behalf. >> then secretary of state john kerry meets with opposition leaders were ukraine as the u.s. intervenes to end a month-long anti-government protest. president obama's plan to boost the economy by calling on business owners to put americans back to work. >> and in the middle of the country is dealing with snow. temperatures on the rise in the south and east. details on your weekend forecast. >> al jazeera news conditions. i'm morgan radford, back with you in 2.5 minutes. you can follow us on twitter. and you can follow us online at aljazeera.com. we invite you as always to join

the conversation. stay tuned, and don't go anywhere.

>> more trouble for new jersey governor chris christie, claims that he did, in fact, know that traffic lanes were being closed down as political payback. >> protesters in the ukraine seek help from the u.s. it stop at violence. an activist returns bloodied and

bruised after a week. >> gun fire and explosions in thailand days before an election. >> good morning to you. welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. new jersey governor chris christie on the hot street. revelations indicate that he did, in fact, know what is going on in september. david wildstein ordered the closure of lanes. it was retribution for not endorsing chris christie's re-election bit. in november hearings bea gan, and cyhris christie denied knowledge of traffic study. last month chris christie issued an apology after emails revealed that the lane closures were

payback. chris christie denied knowing anything about it. the lawyer says he has proof to the contrary. erica ferrari is in fort lee with more on the story. >> good morning, it's the eve of the super bowl, the first ever. the timing couldn't be worse for governor chris christie. the state leading newsagency saying if the allegations are true, chris christie must resign. >> new jersey governor chris christie ignored reporters questions as he left a birthday party for howard stern. hours before a lawyer for the port thorty official behind the bridge traffic scandal released a level claiming the governor knew about the slornals creating a commuter nightmare. in that letter david wildstein's lawyer says evidence exists

tying mr chris christie to having knowledge of the lane clearance. contrary to what the governor stated publicly the letter described it as chris christie's order. as political payback, a democrat who refused to endorse chris christie for reelection on january the 9th in a 2-hour news conference chris christie denied knowing anything about it. >> i had no knowledge or involvement in this issue. in its planning or its execution. and i am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. >> new jersey assemblyman says he never believed the governor. >> i was suspect of the upper circle of the governor not knowing about this.

>> david wildstein was appointed by chris christie and resigned from his 150 thous a year post. he is the one that exchanged emails with chris christie's former chief of staff bridget anne kelly. she emailed: >> chris christie fired bridget anne kelly, and vowed to take action if any other senior staff members knew of the closings. in a statement the governor's office says the letter from david wildstein's attorney: >> the justice department and - the justice department and new jersey lawmakers are investigating how all of this could effect jers's chances of running for president in 2016 remains to be seen. his approval ratings took a dip in new jersey, but he is popular

among his constituents. >> erica ferrari reporting live from fort lee new jersey. thank you for being with us. >> joining us now is o'brien murray, a republican strategist, serving as a campaign manager for bob turper -- turner, now o'brien. if it comes out that he knows, does it kill chris christie's chances. >> the question is what did he know, when did he know it. he maintains they hoo had nothing -- he had nothing to do with implementing the strategy, it was a buftening of hacks getting together, if that's what they did. the governor's knowledge of that is what has been claimed. he knew nothing about it prior to it occurringful if it comes out they knew. >> nothing is going there yet. even the attorneys, the letter from the attorney, what they are saying is the governor knew about it when it occurred.

and they have proof. >> it's ambiguous what they claim they know. a complaint is here is a gentleman that gave the documents, a lot of information and he's claiming to have information about what was there. it's uncertain what this - what david wildstein is trying to do. this is a gentleman that new the governor in high school. >> they are not sure. >> these are fine points, but important. the governor says when they were in high school i was on the football team, baseball team, i don't know what david wildstein was doing. >> i was cool, i'm not sure what you were doing. >> it doesn't go well when someone is a potential witness against you. it's a minor thing, in the scheme of things a lot of the undercurrent appears to be that david wildstein is upset with the governor. this letter yesterday, what do

you make of that. well when you work where you are now, if you were sued for something on air. the employer would pay legal fees much when you say, "you went too far, you did it on your own", now it's on you. that's what the port authorities are saying. >> you were a wildcard. >> that is what this letter was, a request for moneys. in the letter david wildstein contests the accuracy of the statements the governor made about him, and he can prove the inaccuracy of the some. it's not saying he can prove the governor knew what he said, just what he said about david wildstein in this letter. it's peculiar. >> it sounds like he has something. i want to talk about the timing. david wildstein resigned when things hit the fan. the question is why now is he trying to take chris christie down. >> he wants his fees paid. on monday there's an issue with the subpoenas that were served,

a number of other people. those documents coming in on monday. you have a u.s. attorney investigating with the mayor of hoboken, the herings coming up, but most importantly discovery. whether you are an individual, whether you are a lawsuit, discovery can find anything. it goes through your documents. that is the real thing. >> what can that mean. if they do find something, could he lose his job. forget the presidential race. >> if he was involved in trying to cover up and bury this event, go do this, then when you get caught that would be horrendous. nothing is coming anywhere near that right now. >> >> i think it's getting close. we are getting close. >> the republican governor that he chairs, if he raises money

for or governors the stage, those are the bigger issues, i don't think it's an issue going back to the governor's office. >> what about his network of sport. mayor julie arny said it's a 50/50 chance that he did know. >> it's whether or not he knew. previously it's not what was in the emails, it's when someone was in the car, that's an issue. one of problems the governor had is when he hugged obama, a year and a half ago with sandy and the recovery issues, there was nobody rushing to the defence of the governor, rudy is out there supporting him. >> 50/50, i don't want you in my corner with those rates. >> rudy had to clarify what he

meant by that. by the way, he was on tv defending for chris christie to the end. >> we'll find out if he is standing alone if the days to come. thank you for being with us. >> protesters in the ukraine are asking for help from the united states. opposition leaders are meeting with the u.s. secretary of state food in germany. the protest begone when the ukrainian president walked away. instead it turned to russia. protesters want the president to stap down and are calling for elections. they support the fight for democracy. she's at the center of the protest. what exactly does the opposition hope to gain by meeting with kerry? >> they say they want concrete

help, not just moral support. an opposition leader said that ukraine needs a marshal plan, not martial law. they are looking for support from the european union and the united states. john kerry made unequivocal his support for ukraine. >> the vast majority of ukrainians want to live freely in a safe and prosperous country. they are fighting for the right to associate with partners that will help them realise their aspirations. they decided that means their futures do not have to lie with one country alone, and certainly not coerced. the united states and e.u. stand with the people of ukraine in that fight. >> and the russian foreign minister criticised the stance, saying it's rewarding violence on the streets, and that the

european union would criticise actions in the united states. ukraine caught in the middle. one part of the country, the majority leading to the west. russia to the east trying to exert its influence. >> john kerry seems to be calling out russia, how is russia responding as the opposition gains momentum. >> russia is not happy. possibly we had the strongest message so far in the form of a statement by one of vladimir putin's senior advisors, who speaks on behalf of the kremlin, giving an interview yesterday calling on president viktor yanukovych to quash the rebellion, he could lose power if he didn't. those are harsh words here and a critical time for ukraine. the president viktor yanukovych is on sick leave. nearicly not in -- theoretically

not in power. thousands of opposition supporters are on the streets. many leaders are meeting hear. they do not cleve concessions have been enough. they will demonstrate against the government and work against the government until they see real challenge. >> yesterday we saw disturbing images of an opposition leader, claiming he had been kidd named and tortured. have you heard of impact on the ground there. >> he is in hospital now, there's a stand off. police officers there who want to integrate and arrest him, saying he insited riots. it's been called into question the claim that he was disrupted. heap was covered in blood, beaten badly. the interior minister said he could have done it to insight

violence to make things worse. the u.s. ambassador went to meet him. an uneasy stand off between the police and opposition supporters. you said it bears wondering if he verified his story. are they questioning the attack. >> this is the sewer reel nature of what happens. supporters were worried. he was missing for eight days, dumped in a forest two nights ago in subzero temperatures. they found he was covered in blood, badly beaten up and difficult to know what the authorities want to do about this, sending the police to arrest him. >> jennifer glasse live from kiev. thank you for being with us. >> protests in thailand turned violent a day ahead of a tense

election. gunfire and explosions have been heard throughout bangkok where protesters have been clashing. they are calling on the resignation of the prime minister. several have been insured. wayne hay has more from bangkok. >> security officials had warned this part of the cannibangkok c become a flash point and see violence on election day. here we are on the eve of election. the fears are realised. anti-government protesters have been camped at a government office, inside the government office. there were ballot papers distributed to polling booths on early sunday morning in time for the election to start. the protesters want to prevent that from happening. they ceilinged off the area and fortified it, calling in reinforcelets to help with that. at the same time there was a pro-government group in the area

threatening to march upon the office where the anti-government protestors were. the two side traded a lot of gunfire, no one knows what will happen after the election. protesters have been on the streets for some three months. they don't recognise the election, they won't recognise the results, the largest opposition party, the democrat party, who supports what the protesters are trying to achieve is not taking part in the election. there are certain to be legal challenges to it even if it takes place around the country, and there could be a case that the election is declared invalid as happened before in thailand because of the descriptions. there are many questions scroupding the protest and the next few ours as tension increases in bangkok and other parts of the country.

>> wayne hay reporting from bap cock. >> president obama is reportedly planning on travelling to saudi arabia, a trip designed to mend relations. officials say the president will speak to pacify concerns over the nuclear deal. saudi arabia has expressed frustration that the u.s. is not doing more to support syrian rebel forces. >> a new video surfaced relating to the leak of n.s.a. documents by edward snowden. it shows editors of the guardian destroying computers that edward snowden sent to them. the british government ordered the paper to turn over the documents. they threatened legal action if the paper did not stop publishing the links. the british spy agency watched the journalist destroy the computers in the "guardian's basement. in california the drought situation is worse.

on friday obinitials announced the state water project would not deliver reservoir water. the move affects drinking water and other water. now more than 25 million residents and 750,000 acres of farm land will have to find other sources. >> much of this winter season has been the haves and the have not. the west void of wet and snow which conditions. but in the mid west we continue to get the rounds of snow storms. today it's into chicago, and st. louis, where winter weather advisories were in place. the area in pink includes chicago, and a winter storm warning. this morning snow has been falling and we have freezing fog. that assist been bringing down

visibility. you need to watch. along i70 conditions will deteriorate. we have seen the storm system. it will stay out of most importantly for this weekend. north around new jersey and new york city. a lot of festivities. it looks like for the most part that we'll keep it on the dry side. sunday we'll see showers. temperatures are mild. it will support all rain if we see precipitation. in the west the interior sections are getting in on the wet weather. the jet streams have been forming a rig. storms have not been able to get in. storms have been up and over the ridge not allowing for the moisture to come in where we needed the rain fall. what we have seen has been light. we continue to remain in a

drought over much of the state of california over states of nevada. >> and a controversial pipeline, what a study says about the keystone project and the impact on the environment. >> the budding business of marijuana, look at what is making it harder for legal sellers to run the shot. before taking a break, we go live to hong kong where new years celebrations are under way, celebrating the year of the horse, celebrating energy and prosperity. we'll be right back.

>> into welcome back. just ahead a controversial keystone pipeline that may not be as bad for the environment as people thought. >> first a look at what temperatures mean. >> we are not doing bad, especially in places that need the warm up. it really started yesterday

across areas of the south-east. >> that will continue as we move into the weekend. we are in great shape around atlanta, where we had the crippling storm. 55 in memphis, we are at 64 degrees. we have chilly air in place. single digits and low teens, as we take you to the deep south where we have the milder air in place, a bit on the cool side. you may need a life jacket to start the day. look at the temperatures. we'll see low 80s. 50 degrees in atlanta. spreading to the north-east coast. temperatures as much as 5-10 degrees warmer in new york. >> the controversial key stephen pipeline may be a step closer to getting approved. the the oil pipeline from canada to the u.s. would have little impact on the environment.

we explain. >> state department or initials are keen to stress the release of the supplemental environment statement is just a report, it is not the final decision on whether transcanada will be allowed to build the pipeline on u.s. territory from the canadian border to the gulf of mexico. after ample input in the past year, now it's to the u.s. government agencies to figure out what other impacts could be created if the ip line, indeed, is constructed. >> then it will up to the secretary of state john kerry to decide whether the economic benefit outweighs diplomatic, political and environment concerns. the technical report released friday indicates that there would not be many negative impacts in terms of wetlands, climate change, environmental facilities or the local economies. however, there's considerable political pressure to build the

pipeline, and the administration is already hearing the pressure from particularly republican members of congress. >> over the next 90 days federal authority wris will decide if the -- authorities will despite if it's in the nation's best interest and in line if the president's climate strategy. >> kids had lunches taken and thrown out. because they had money due on a bill. the district supervisor has been placed on leave after taking away lunches from kids with money due on their bills some parents were not informed of the balance and are outraged that the school would take marsh measures. >> on that coast it's been a month since colorado legalized recreational marijuana. pot and illegal under federal law. as john reports, that is causing a lot of budding legal problems. >> after a month of legal marijuana sales the results of the green rush are in.

long lines, short supplies and unhealthy dose of chaos. >> for the two dozen or so retail dismrens ris in operation so far... >> these are retail items. >> business has grown faster than budding stocks in the grow houses. >> we are out the door with a flow of customers. we'd have is a-20 patients. now we see about 100 to 150 a day. some sellers ran out of stock. with 100 dismrens ris open next month, the problem is not supply, it's a legal system ta has not caught up with the drug under u.s. federal law. the shop changed bang accounts several times, banks are afraid of running afoul of federal law. as soon as they discover who they are dealing with they shut

down the accounts, but take creditism. >> we are on the 7th or eighth bank account. it's terrible, and dangerous because i walk around with a large amount of cash in my pok ement. we have a tight system holding the cash on different premises. it doesn't stop someone who is desperate to put a gun to my head or kidnap my wife or family. >> the green rush fuelled a new industry. bud tenders, trimmers, temp workers. the critics sitting rising teams, health problems are working on a law to take pot off colorado's menu. >> they are targetting kids, marijuana gummy bears, and sewed aand soft drinks. they want to regulate alcohol. >> workplace law is unset ed. you can't be forward for using grets and alcohol. some like brandon coates have

been fired for using legal medical marijuana. as colorado's business continues its move from the legal shadows to the light of day. they hope the laws governing them move with them. >> attorney-general eric holder said that the u.s. treasury will soon open banking services to state-sanctioned pot dealers. safety for prisoners. brazil outsourcing security to private company, next - why critition say that they are cashing in on the criminals. >> and a throw dawn between denver and seattle. >> i'm mark morgan, we are live at met life stadium, the site of super bowl 48. the n.f.l. is a juggernaut of popularity. is there signs of trouble on the horizon, that story ahead.

>> welcome back. you're watching al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford, live from new york city, here are the top stories. new allegations in chris christie's bridge-gate scag. one man saying that chris christie knew about the closure. >> ukraine opposition leaders will meet with secretary of state john kerry in germany. the white house and congress discuss sanctions on ukraine. >> palma palmar -- president b obama is planning on travelling so saudi arabia he'll address for for rebel forces in syria.

>> president obama is shaking hands with big business leaders to help the long-termed unemployed find jobs. >> we have engaged employers of all sizes, all around the country, including many here today, to commit to a set of inclusive hiring policies, making sure that recruiting or screening practices encourage all qualified applicants. and, of course, it's right that the federal government lead by example. >> and the president also announced that the labour department will distribute 150 million in grants to help workers develop the skills that they need. >> joining us now is robert hockett, a professor in ethica new york. thank you for joining us.

>> hi, good morning, thank for having me on. >> let's have a look at who is considered to be long-termed unemployed. we know people who have been long-termed unemployed have been out of work for 27 weeks or more. they represent 38% of unemployed. 38% of unemployed men's have been looking for work for more than six months. why has the administration waited until now to address the issue? >> i don't know that the administration has waited that longs. it's been trying to get employment rates up. there has been a good bit of obstruction in congress and wrangling between the parties, making it difficult to get programs on the ground and up and running. >> here is where we stand. 300 companies agreed to new

policies. the president signed an order to stop discriminating agaubs people out of work. is this plan enough to solve the the problem. >>. >> it's a good start. i don't think it will be enough. there's an economic slump in the country in the form of under water home mortgage debt. as long as that continues at a high level there'll be a drag on the economy. not much labour will be needed. secondly and relatedly after suspending done in the early years such spending has tapered off. given that, we don't have

sufficient stimulus if we jumpstart it and get it growing. >> you call it misguided. why why. >> the austerity? >> yes. >> the reason it's misguided is it's widely well known and established that it's not the rite time to cur gale government spending. >> we have, in effect, shut off stimulus too soon, too early. it's like shutting off the iv when the patient is not recovered. >> let look at a chart for you. showing that the longer you are unemployed the harder it is to find work. 31% of people who are without of work usually has good suk it's

at finding a job. it's compared to 9% of those unemployed for 53 weeks. what does it mean for the economy to have so many out of jobs for a long time. >> well, it makes it difficult for recovery to get under way. it's harder once you have been anaemicly growing for a long time, to begin to accelerate your growth again. so in essence it's a problem where the longer the problem drags on, ironically the more difficult the problem is to solve. it's a snowball effect or a self-wars nipping in effect. >> the professor of law joining us from ethica new york. >> as a reminder, ali velshi will do a report on the long-term unemployed.

america's middle class rebuilding the dream. >> ofcials in brazil turn to private companies to reform the prison industry. the country has some of the world's violent and overcrowded prince. deaths are daily and as al jazeera's lucy newman with more. some of the images you are about to see are disturbing. >> a disturbing glimpse into the prison in the state of maranyou. the video is horrific proof of the violence feuding prisoners inflict upon each other. >> the images that follow, prisoners mewett lated. three of them beheaded for all to see. the fallout put unprecedented pressure on the government to build new, more modern less crowded prisons like the ones

here. >> we are allowed a limited look inside brazil's first p perform perform a private public partnership. a joint venture between the government and the private sector. compared to others this is a five star accommodation. the only prisoner we are allowed to speak to runs a storeroom distributing uniforms and personal hygiene kits. >> they have psychologists and a lot of things help the prisoners enter society. there's no xrn. the prison unit is one of a kind. the food is adequate. >> we were not allowed to view the cells. photographs were provided. there were four prisoners per cell. that's a novelty in a place where prisons house up to four

times the capacity. >> as the law states, each prison or has to have a spot here, so there's no overcrowding. >> we are told the penitentiary only accepts prisoners who are willing to study and work for three-quarters of the minimum wage. policing walls and discipline reaction is the state's responsibility. the company running the project is in charge of living conditions and security which is state of the art. >> this bench is a metal detector, a scan that can protect any metal introduced into the body. all of this is expensive and some question why the private sector should be allowed to make a profit. >> why does the comfort allow

this. it's tied to the private sector. brazil treats prisoners as merchandise and prisons as an industry. >> whatever the motive the critics can see the prison is setting a standard. presumably protecting as well as punishing. >> in response to the violence the federal government agreed to transfer some of the most dangerous inmates to more secure federal prisons. thousands of bets are made every year over who will win the super bowl. this year a few unlikely participants will get a piece of the action. >> denver and seating are getting into the action. >> we have the rest of this story. >> the denver museum of art is a july of the rocky, and the

people in this city are proud of their collection of western american art. >> visitors to seattle's art museum are great by jonathan berosky's sculpture and treated to a variety of travelling and permanent exhibitions, including an asian art collection to big it has its open building. >> just because we are talking with curators of world class collections doesn't mean they are not sports fans, here is the master piece that the denver art museum is putting up as its side of the wager. tell me about this piece. >> it's the bronco buster. it is an icon at the west. it's one of the stars of the collection. that will look nice on display in seattle. next to the sound of waves, with its defiant bird of pray, the sea hawk. that's what it is putting up in the wager. have you wondered what arts

museum director sounds like trash talking. >> fabulous magestic board, a 6-panel screen, bigger than life. >> it's sad really that the people of seattle will not demj it in seattlism. >> it is sad, but they of course can come to denver, which is a great city and has a great football team. >> man riding a bucking bronco, beautifully detailed, scul pted that we will be happy to displace. >> the broncos will not keep the screen, it's on loan for three months. >> with the loser paying exhibition and shipping costs, which for the heavy bronze piece can add up to a bit. >> i wish you meant it. on sunday we'll find out which piece of art goes well, and

which city has super bowl dreams swept away. >> and speaking of the super bowl al jazeera's mark morgan joins us live from metlife stadium with an interesting take on ticket scales. what is happening out there. >> good morning, you know super bowl seems to devour the attention across the nation, emphasising the n.f.l.'s popularity. the league struggled to sell the games. could the comforts of home be hurting the n.f.l. at the gate? >> with the super bowl approaching america's most popular sport could be at a crossroads of economics and fek knollingy when it -- technology when it comes to having fans going to the game. >> you are over $100 before you think about going there. >> according to sports industry analyst at team the average cost for a family of four is $460.

the n.f.l. saw a dip in attendance from 2007 to 2011. they have filled the gap. 10 teams played at home stadiums under 95% capacity. so how are n.f.l. franchises attracting fans. >> it starts with when they buy a ticket and enhancing qidi experience and interactive experience within the building. >> the eels are one of a few franchises overhauling the field with which fi, improving the experience through an eagles app. >> that is a one-stop shop for anything you need, from the red zone. you can see the fantasy stats. have you all of that at your finger tips while you watch the the game. >> in a league where revenue and ticket prices rise, improving

fan's experience can never be taken. there's so many options to people. you have to find ways to bring people back. >> one of those who does come back is john mann senellie junior of aston pennsylvania. eagles season tickets have been in the family since 1971. once you fight though parking, traffic, ticket lines, the pure excitement makes the game exciting if you want to be there. >> the tech knoll obligical improvements -- technological improvements make it more exciting. the link is high tech. >> the toughest competition for the n.f.l. may be the comforts of home. long-time season ticket holder has moved from his seat at the stadium to the front row of his home theatre with nine speakers of surround town and a 110 inch screen.

>> it's convenient. i don't have to worry about the temperature being 10 degrees and snowing. watching it in my house in a home theatre outweighs going to the game. >> rooms like these can make it enticing to fans at home. >> i think when the costs are such that, you know, the average middle class avid fan can't get down to the game, they'll sit at home watching if in the family room. >> that's the argument still yet to be resolved. >> obviously of the efforts are ongoing by the n.f.l. to improve the experience at the game. >> next hour, our n.f.l. analyst joins me here at the met life stadium, and we'll focus on the seahawks and broncos. back to you. >> i look forward to seeing you in the next hour. >> for weeks vigilante groups

have been standing up to drug cartels in mexico. now they are standing up to them. >> asking for support, intig nous leader speaks with his community about why they -- indigenous leader talks about why they should work with the vigilantes. a few days ago they confronted them. >> translation: we were worried what would happen when the self-defence groups came. we saw many weren't from the community. we changed our lives after speaking with the leader whom we knew and trusted. tired of kidnapping extortions, the groups sprang up in the western state. in the absence of state security the groups grew rapidly forcing the government to rein them in.

this week the government changed tactics choosing to intergrate the kids no the world defense core. >> this is one of the first times the groups worked together to bring a message of security. it's a new strategy, one they hope will pay off. vigilante leaders say the partnership is working. in the past few days they moved into 10 new communities. >> translation: we have won confidence by showing we are honest working people and they see the results in other towns where people have risen up. >> analysts say a big challenge is how to put 20,000 heavily armed civilians under government control. >> the process of legalization is complicated. it's possible the vigilantes could be corrupted. it couldn't be worse than what we have witnessed.

>> ambrose sees the vigilantes as the best hope for security and prosperity. peace, it seems might, indeed, come from the barrel of a gun. >> and the chinese new year is upon us. the big question is will the year of the horse usher in good news for the economy.

>> good saturday morning to you. we are dealing with a mass, mainly snow, but some areas are seeing freezing rain making for

slick spots. there's a little bit of rain coming down around st. louis. let's give you a view, stretching from dew mini to chicago. we could be dealing with six inches. most of the precipitation is towards the front. it will keep most of the areas nice and dry. the chinese are celebrating the new year. fireworks lit up the sky as they kicked off the year of the horse, representing energy and loyalty. it could mean a good year for all of us. >> and it sounds like we are having problems. but in wyoming it's half a world away, but distance was no barrier when a massive amount of

internet tracking. it has residents troubled. we investigate. >> wyoming is free and lots of open space. >> reports of a chinese internet invasion into the cowboy states had folks going around in circles. hundreds of millions of internet searches originating in china blew into shian and appeared to dead-end here at this sleepy cottage. >> here of the mysterious house. it is a marketing firm. executive carol baldwin let us poke around for a connection to china. >> it's a wrinkle in how the information flows around the world, how it ended here. >> to investigate the matter the state deputy clerk checked the

land ownership back to 1883. >> there's nothing unusual about it. >> nothing illegal? >> not that i can see. >> the answer was not here, but it was a clue. wyoming corporate services wit operated out of the cottage is several blocks away. it is a registered agent for 18,000 companies, including one called sofidia whose ip address attracted the kindees traffic and has the same mailing address as the cottage. it's a cyber mess. an asian take over. >> is there a take over the chinese could be hacking into the united states through this little town. [ laughs ] . >> it's the chinese government, i have no idea what they are able to do. through us, absolutely not. >> how did the internet of the world's populated country get shut down. this is the latest such

incident. an analyst, a company which manages website performance says it is interesting how quiet everything was outside of china. but the chinese population went mad. not so much in shian where business policies were attracted to karptions. if anyone tried to invade american cyber space, don't mess with wyoming. >> there's a lot of places where you'll never be found. let's put it that way. >> around here folks are not likely to forget the day the far east collided with the west of the >> and the end of our second hour, here is what i'm following for you. new jersey governor chris christie in the hot seat. allegations that he actually knew about the bridge closures. and secretary of state john kerry meeting with opposition

leaders were the ukraine, and president obama's plan to boost the economy. he's calling on business owners to put americas back to work and stop discriminating against those who haven't worked in a while. >> and a lot of event taking place this weekend, new york city. we'll keep it on the dry side for the first half of the weekend. temperatures rising about 5 degrees above average, dropping into the 30s. it will be chilly out there. temperatures rebounding. close to 50 degrees for the big game. it looks like we'll be in decent shape. we'll see rainfall. everything is done, overnight sunday and monday. it looks like a quiet forecast for the start of the week.

we'll sea changes. some snow flakes are flying off of lake eyrie, and in the north-western areas where you find the rain, matching the south-east, dry. >> speaking of the flrl element, the next story of survival coming from the top of hawaii. the new york native said the weather came over so fast he was not able to find his back pack which he left down the stroke. alan spent the first night with the clothes down his back, a water bottle and a cell phone without service. park rangers rescued him after finding his car at the bottom of a trail. >> if i walked down, i would have made it, but it would have been three or four days. >> alex said it will not stop him going on another hike. the show must go on. more news in 2.5 minutes.

i'm morgan radford. i look forward to seeing you for the last hour of the morning show. see you then.

>> there is more trouble in the garden state for new jersey governor chris christie, claims that he did know that traffic lanes were being closed down as political payback. a deadly dose - a tainted batch of heroin hits the streets of one of america's oldest cities. >> i'm looking to the sideline to get the hand. i'm seeing five hands, and there's one coordinator.

>> a former posterior football player seeking a new experimental treatment to heal years of concussions. >> why so many families people like they are struggling just to get by. >> good morning to you. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. new jersey governor chris christie on the hot seat once again. revelations into bridge gate controversy. it indicates that chris christie knew what was going on, because back in september port authority appointee david wildstein ordered the closure of lanes. the town's mayor said it was retribution for not endorsing chris christie's election bid. chris christie denied knowledge of the so-called traffic study.

in december david wildstein resigned and had to testify before the stayed sem reply. chris christie -- before the assembly. >> chris christie denied knowing anything about it david wildstein's lawyer says he had proof to the contrary. erica ferrari is live in fort lee. what is happening out there? >> well, it's the eve of the super bowl, the first ever for the state of new jersey. the timing couldn't be worse for new jersey governor chris christie, the state's leading newspaper saying if the allegations are true, they want him to resign. >> new jersey governor chris christie ignored reporters' questions as he left a birthday party for howard stern. a lawyer behind the george

washington bridge traffic scandal released a letter claiming the governor knew about the access lane closures creating a commuter nightmare. in the letter david wildstein's lawyer says evidence exists, tying chris christie to having knowledge of the lane clornalers during the period, contrary to what the governor stated publicly. it was described as the chris christie administration's order. it was hatched by staffers, as payback. a democrat who refused to endorse cyst , on january the 9th, in a two-hour news conference he denied knowing anything about it. >> i had no knowledge or involved in the issue, in its planning or execution, and i am stunned by the abject stupidity

that was shown here. >> new jersey assembly man, gordon johnson, says he never believed the governor. he was suspect of the inner circle of the governor not knowing about this. david wildstein was appointed by chris christie, and since resigned from his $150,000 a year post, and exchanged the emails with chris christie's former deputy chief of staff bridget anne kelly: >> chris christie fired bridget anne kelly, and vowed to take action if any other senior staff members new of the closings. in a statement the governor's office says the letter from david wildstein's attorney confirms what the governor said - he had no prior knowledge of the lane closures, and whatever david wildstein's motivations were for closing them to begin with. >> the justice department and new jersey law makers are

investigating. how this could effect chris christie's chances running for president remains to be seen. he is hugely popular amongst his constituents. >> erica ferrari reporting live from fort lee, new jersey. thank you so much. >> meanwhile president obama is reportedly planning on travelling to saudi arabia in march, a trip designed to mend relations. the president will seek to pacify concerns over the interim deal. saudi arabia expressed frustrations that the internet is not doing more. >> a video surfaced related to that massive leak of n.s.a. documents by former contractor edward snowden. showing editors of the "the guardian" destroying computers containing top secret documents which edward snowden sent to the

department. the broig -- british government ordered them to destroy them. >> protesters in ukraine are asking for help from the united states. opposition leader from ukraine will meet with the secretary of state john kerry in germany. heap said the u.s. supports ukraine's fight for dem abbing rahsy: >> leaders are hoping for support from the united states, not just the moral support over the past two months. an opposition leader said ukraine noods a martial plan, not mart cal law. opposition leaders will meet with the u.s. secretary of state in munich. krait speaking in munich gave support for the ukraine. >> the vast majority of

ukrainians want too live freely. they are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will help them realise their as sirations, meaning their future do not have a lie with one country alone. the united states and e.u. stand with the people of ukraine. >> "my only love" said it amounts to sparring, rewarding violence on the streets. ukraine is divided between the east and the west in a tug of war between the east and the west. on the square behind me there are tens of thousands of ukrainians who have come out into the cold winter to support better integration with the european union. helping to fight against a corrupt government. they would like to see viktor

yanukovych step down. they'll remain pon the streets until we see a change in the leadership. >> the protest jennifer glasse mentioned began when the president walked away from a deal with the u.s. president. >> protests in thailand turned violent a day ahead of tense elections. heavy gunfire and explosions have been herd. protesters have clashed with government supporters. they are calling for the resignation of the prime minister. several have been injured. wayne hay has more. >> this is exactly the build-up to sunday's election that everyone in thailand feared. these people moving down the road are anti-government protesters. they are coming from a stage to join another government protest. also in the area is a pro government group, as the

protesters have been moving down, there's a lot of gun fire coming from somewhere. there's little disurty in the area -- security in the area. some soldiers are unarmed. little security. you can see the protesters. this was an area of bangkok that the security forces warned could see violence on election day. we haven't reached a day and a lot of gun fire and explosion the >> u.s. senator bob casey of pennsylvania is reaching to officials for help in fighting a drug problem. casey sent a letter to the head of the dea asking to enact justice for those dealing. >> authorities in pittsburg call it an epidemic.

heroin laced with a power of the substance is being sold on the streets. it comes about different names. last week four people within 24 hours died after overdosing. from there the death toll continued to climb. >> saturday when i had four, and sunday when i had three i knew i was hitting a major part of an overdose crisis. by monday 20 similar deaths were reported throughout the region. it contains a synthetic open i had called fen tan ol. >> the doctor heads a rehab facility. saying if warned of the dangers, some drug abusers take the chance. >> if people die from something, you think commonsense tells you stay away from that.

because of the natures of addiction people believe it's the good stuff. the strong stuff. >> the medical examiner says in the past couple of years more died from drug overdoses than whom sides and traffic accidents combined. >> carmen understands the da dangersers first hand. he lost his 22-year-old son. >> we were devastated. i doesn't know what heroin looked like. today he shares the story of his heart breaking lose. >> i hope to create aasiawarena

action and passion. >> pittsburg enforcement are working closely with others to find out where it came from. 6,000 joined sages army, to support others struggling from addiction before it's too late. >> on friday the chief medical examiner issued a statement warning of its, blaming it for 37 deeths statewide. >> the keystone pipeline in the hands of secretary of state john kerry. the state department released a report saying the pipeline between the u.s. and canada would have a limited impact on the environment. over the next 90 days federal authorities will decide whether the project is in the nation's best interests. the white house is expected to face pressure to approve it. john kerry will make the final decision.

>> it's been three weeks since the spill left hundreds of thousands of west virginia residents high and dry. there's fears that the water is not safe. this is no rent issue. al jazeera's jonathan martin reports. >> the trickle of a count an spring is what maria out. >> kids can reply in the creek. we wanted the grandkids to play the way we played. >> as it would turn out the water flowing from the tap was they say than pure, harmed by the coal which fuels the any. >> maria says people were getting six, including six living on a single street who developed brain tumours. independent testing revealed toxins and arsenic in the water.

coal slurry, a by-product of washing coal is injected into the ground. state officials defied the groundwater was contaminated at the hand of miners. >> they were dumping the stuff underground by the billions of gallons, we had no idea that they were doing it or there was a permit issued for it. we didn't know any of that. >> in 2008 resident filed suit against two companies. massey energy, and patriot coal. the suit aheld coal slurry leached through the earth. the region made a settlement. resist dents think publicity -- residents thing publicity from

the court suit led them to connect them to town water. >> here she is as a little girl and when she passed away. >> pamela thinks years exposed to the chemicals claimed her mother's life. >> none of the lines were changed, the hot water heater was not changed. it's still coming through. i just don't trust it. >> after what the town has been through, maria lambert has little faith that the chemical spill will change environmental regulations. >> you find out that the government is supposed to be the keepers of the castle or the land. are allowing all of this to happen. you get mad. >> feeling betrayed, she's using her voice, advocating change

where the economy dened on each other for better or worse. >> a senate subcommittee will hear testimony in washington. california officials turned off the water faucets for 25 million resist did nots. the state water project will not deliver water to agencies this spring. the agency is taking this very drastic measure because of drought conditions. more than 25 million residents will have to get their water elsewhere. a little help for the dry states out west. let's bring in meteorologist your eboni deon. >> we are not expecting widespread wet weather. but we'll get a little rain. anything we can get we'll take it. on the radar most of the

precipitation is into the mid section, where we will get a mixed bag, snow, rain, freezing rain. across the west activity across the ipp terror. this is it the set up as of late. pretty much the entire season. we had the rig in the jet stream that has not allowed the storm system to move in, bringing the flow. satisfied the storls have been going up and over the rim and this is the pattern in the jet stream, diving into the midsection. it kept it so stormy, but here across calvia, into nevada we are dealing with stream to exceptional throughout conditions. it remains dry. we have seen some of the highest amounts. we are well behind in the rain fall totals. the next area of low pressure making its way down the

coastline. in our nation's midsection, the snow will continue. eventually getting into detroit. these are areas that could be upwards of six, seven inches of snow fall. they have widespread advisories and warning in place. >> a darkside to the super bowl. the sex trade follows the big game, and they are asking people to be on the look out. it's no street that vodka is big in vodka. research shows it's affecting the life span of russian men. >> what it means to be middle class in merc. so many families are being squeezed out of the american dream.

>> in utah parents were outraged over a decision to take away their children's school lumps, because their cafeteria bills were not paid. a cafeteria manager and a

district supervisor have been placed on leaf while authorities investigate. some say they weren't told about the balances and are outraged that the schools will take marsh measures. >> as america's most-watched sport event is prepared to kick off, an ugly underbelly is being exposed. it's a magnet for sex trafficking. >> a superbust before the super bowl, designed to send a message - law enforcement is cracking down on prostitution days before a business bonanza for the sex trade. 18 people arrested in a manhattan sting organization, part of a campaign to shut down the biggest sex trafficking event in the u.s. beyond transactions between buyers and sellers is a disturbing and pervasive problems - the trafficking of

young women for the sex trade, against their will. the internet is the number one platform where pimps buy and sell. >> women, little boys and girls, the whole gamut, and traffic labour as well. it happiness all sorts of ways. they come in by airplane, drive across, commute by bus, sub way. >> 10,000 girls and women were trafficked to miami. carol worked to fight it for three decades and says the numbers are hard to verify. >> it's an underground industry. i don't think we have a good count about how many are trafficked or exploited. there's a lot of awareness raising going on. >> attention is what government officials are trying to gain,

spotlighting the issue in bus and train stations the message - be on the lookout. police want and need the help. >> we have outreach and awareness, training and education. >> it includes training hotel workers, airport employees, and truckers, to keep an eye out for anyone under a handler's control. all part of a problem that doesn't go away when the rain ends and the lights turned off. >> anti-trafficking advocate says sex ads on u.s. sites doubled in the last week and tripled by sunday. >> a roman catholic diocese filed for bankruptcy because of money owed to sexual abuse vision tips. the diocese made the move in

montana. the abuse dates between the 1940s and 1970s. >> almost a quarter of all russian men die before reaching the age of 55. that leaves authorities figuring out why. after a study they may have their answer - vodka. >> vodka has been part of the social fabric of russian life for 600 years. for a growing section of the pop u laying, the party went on for so long. they tote their future with vodka. divorce rates are soring, alcohol is the cause. now a study confirms that it is the major cause of high desk in russian men. it confirms 35% of men die before reaching 55. the rate in britain is 7%.

>> there are only alcoholics here, so many. >> vodka is so cheap, the cheapest group, costing $1 a bottle. >> russian people drink a lot because they want to forget about the every day problems with politics and some problems family. it seems to me that when they drink they forget the problems. >> it's not just the vodka on its own, it's the whole lifestyle, heavy drink-related factors to claim many lives. violence, suicide, alcohol poisoning, accidents. russia's love affair with alcohol comes at a cost. >> the lans let asked 150,000

how much they drank and followed them for a decade. >> drinking vodka and liquor is typical of ukraine. it's binge drinking and this consumption which is the main cause of death. >> president yelt sin's drunken outings on the stage ensures he was no role model. since 2006 when the alcohol policy was introduced, consumption of spirits fell by a third. in a country where average life expect si for men is 64, vodka takes the lives of a quarter of all men before the age of 5. that could prove sobering. >> russia ranks amongst the lowest 50 countries in the world for male life expect si.

>> coming up president obama is willing to work out an immigration deal. democrats and immigrants say they don't like it. we'll explain why next. >> i'm looking to the satellite trying to get the call from the coordinator. i see five hands, one coordinator, but five hands. >> life after football. a treatment some former football stars use to battle a career of concussions. >> i'm mark morgan, super bowl 48 - anita marks will join me telling me how the seahawks and broncos are tweeting game plans. >> and a major throw down between museums - the battle of denver and seattle.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. these are the top stories. allegations in chris christie's bridge gate scandal. one man said chris christie now about the lane closures. ukraine opposition leaders will meet with john kerry in germany. the white house and congress discuss possible sanctions. >> protests in thailand turn violent a day ahead of tense elections. protesters have been clashing with government supporters for a week. >> president obama is shaking hands with big business leaders to help long-term unemployed. top ceos are agreeing to hiring policies. the president says they shouldn't discriminate against people out of work.

>> we engaged employers of all sizes, all around the country to commit to a set of inclusive hiring policies, for making sure recruiting and screening practices don't disadvantage folks, to establishing an open-door policy. of course, it's only right that the federal government lead by example. >> the president also announced that the labour department will distribute 150 million in grants to help workers develop the skills they need to be competitive. >> the middle class is front and center on capitol hill, where the president says many are struggling to make ends meet, and wants to raise the minimum rage. ali velshi gives an indepth look at the struggles that many are facing. >> on monday al jazeera starts a year-long conversation on the middle class, rebuilding the dream. nine out of 10 americans

identify themselves as in or aspire to be in the middle class almost all americans agree that the middle class feels squeezed after job losses, rising classes. >> i feel like i'm on a treadmill, sweating, and there's no way to go. a set back here and there and you'll both sink. >> 44% of americans today say they bethrong the middle class. that is down nine points from the 53% of americans who identified themselves as americans in 2008 when the recession hit. millions of middle class families who built their wealth through their homes found themselves underwater on their loans. millions more discovered that a college degree. soaring debt makes it hard to move up the economic ladder,

bolstering the middle class. >> we were told with our student loans we couldn't refinance. >> america's households are made up of incomes of $40,000 to $100,000. the middle class consists of middle income families with similar dreams and aspirations. is a secure job, owning a home, a college education for the children. add to that time off for vacations and the ability to save enough to live comfortably with the retirement. for many families these things are harder to achieve. >> to achieve the american dream is di. >> it will turp into a nightmare. >> rebuilding the dream is crucial. the most important part of the economy is its middle class. spending by middle class

families creates demand. without a strong middle class, america's economy will falters. we have an hour-long show on monday, i'll be joined by special guests - it's a mixed bag, worth watching. >> speaking of the american dream, president obama signalled on friday that he would consider an immigration deal that excludes a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million in the country illegally. it's been called a non-negotiable item. joining us now is david leopold, in cleveland ohio. thank you for being with us. >> it seems that the calls for immigration reform continue to grow. what is the hold-up? >> so far the hold up has been the republicans in the house.

we had a bipartisan bill sponsored by republicans and departments. not a perfect bill, but a good bill. we have been waiting months for the republicans in the house to come up with a set of principals. >> you mentioned speaker john boehner, on thursday a plan to offer documented legal status, but not a pathway to citizenship was offered. let's take a listen. >> republicans have to do more to talk about better solutions that we have to help the american people grow wages, have opportunities at a better job and have a better shot at the american dream. >> so, david, does this offer hope for a compromise, and republicans willing to address undocumented people get legal

status. >> john boehner used the word solutions and i think back to the election, the presidential election of 2012, and the word that came out of the republican party. and that's a big change. this is encouragingment let's remember, this is only a first step. we are looking for concrete legislation, details. i and my colleagues in the adcrow case community are waiting to see what the republicans are proposing when they give us a written piece of legislation with details they can look at. >> you mentioned the presidential election. let's get a big contextual picture. >> the republicans have been talking about changing methods to bring in the hispanic vote. why isn't immigration reform at the top of the agenda. >> immigration reform is at the top of the face's agenda, what is going on now, if i may be so

bold as to suggest it, others have suggested is, is you have a fight between the fringe of the party, the tea party, the extreme end of the party and republicans who, which i think most republicans who want to do something good for the nation. there are mainstream republicans. the former commerce secretary. a former mayor of new york , bloomberg and others pushing a solution or solutions if you want to do it piecemeal to the immigration system. i'm encouraged that the republicans, as a group this week are late to the party, but giving the country some solutions vague, yes, waiting for details, we are not talking mean spirited self deportation. it's a step forward.

>> let's talk about the other side of the aisle. would dem grates agree to the reforms if it includes a pathway to citizenship. i don't think any time in our nation's history have we set up a pathway for people to go into a sub class that could never be american citizens. when we read the principles, part of what i see is similar to what the senate puts out. yes see what they said. what they said is no special pathy. they didn't say no pathway. i don't thing a pathway to citizenship becoming a citizens of the united states is anything to negotiate. dreaming the american dream, becoming a part of the american family is something that our laws have gotten right. we should build on what we have

done right. i think - i'm encouraged. it's ultimately a solution. it will include options for the undocumented and unauthorised toiling in the shadows and working hard to feed the families, for them to earn a place in the american family. >> do you think that will happen this year? >> yes, i do. i'm encouraged. i think that this year the republicans and the democrats will come together. the reason is, first of all, as we see this week, the republicans, i think they are acting in good faith, i take them at their word, they are trying to put the nation first, and this year we'll see a comprehensive solution, including a path to citizenship. i'm encouraged and looking forward to concrete legislation that hopely the g.o.p. , how's

republicans will present to the nation shortly. >> david leopold, live in cleveland ohio. >> the super bowl scoreboard will have much of the attention, there's another part of the sport many don't talk about. we have this report on a therapy that some are trying. >> in a room of giants and tough guys, it's his voice that commands attention. willie pile was a safety with the kansas city chiefs and dallas cowboys. he trains current and prospective players with the n.f.l. he delivered hundreds of hits during his career, some leaving him whoosy. >> i hit someone, my eyed crossed.

i'm looking to the sideline for the call from the coordinator, and i see five hands, one coordinator, but i see five hands. >> now, years later, he fears the affect it has. >> sometimes my wife remind me about keys and wallet. there's a little doubt. is there anything to do with concussion. >> that doubt let him to look into alternative treatment. >> a little dryness in your knows. >> the therapy can speed up the body's progress with highly pressurised oxygen. studies on whether the therapies work is inconclusive. some teams have their own oxygen

chambers. >> most of the players we talk about are older players with trauma years ago. >> the treatments are between 60 to 90 minutes long. oxygen is delivered to the body at a rate of five times greater to what you would get outside. the heeling has increased. >> i feel like i have a lot more air. energy that comes at a cost, not typically kofrt by insurance. it can cost patients $10,000. >> and even if it were covered. pile says his insurance through the n.f.l. ran out five years after he stopped playing. pile doesn't have a significant side effects from the bell ringers he sustained. >> you hope it doesn't come to that point. have you to take measures.

measures he and others home will protect them down the road. >> according to the n.f.l. more than 200 players suffered concussions this past season alone. >> the super bowl weekend is upon us, and mark morgan is live at metlife stadium. >> good morning, that's right, we are life at metlife stadium. the game, of course, between the seahawks and broncos. i'm joined by anita marksman, an analyst. >> let's talk about the teams, interesting tweaking that both teams are doing. >> let's make a note that running back for the denver broncos was at full go at practice yesterday. it's billing key for the denver broncos, on top much that defensively they did fine tuning. defensive players are running horizontal drills.

darrell johnon - his velocity is good out of the pocket. on the opposite side, pete carr owl names his practices. nurse is turn over thursday, where they limit the tonne overs. the players look forward to saturdays, they book on gadget, flee flickers, reverse play. after practice they'll go to an undisclosed location. no one knows where they are. it's a big night. they'll break bread, eat, speech, big motivational speech tomorrow, sunday, before heading to metlife stadium for super bowl 48. >> you mentioned that you think new york city as well -- swallowed up the super bowl. >> what city in the world can swallow a super bowl. if you went to strunts or bars,

you could get a reservation. the big parties like espn, they are big events. unless you were on super bowl boulevard. you did not get a sense of super bowl 48 hosted in the city. >> when you mentioned something earlier, other cities were saying "we want in too", >> besides the fact that temperatures were frigid in the week. tomorrow highs will be in the 40s, lows in the 20s. so now washington dc and philadelphia saying if roger cadell is willing to consider a cold city, they want in. they'll make a bid in the future. >> we have lucked out.

a week ago it was 8 degrees with double digit windchill. good weather and a clean playing field as far as the teams are concerned. >> good weather. look forward to seeing you soon. >> a high-class wager. what the museums are willing to correct on the big game. >> it was the best moment of my life. >> a hike up a vol capo end with a snow storm rescue. >> the struggling middle class. >> we can't get ahead. working longer hours for less pay. >> school loops, mort iments, inflation taking it's toll.

>> welcome back, ahead trash talking on the turf of the the big wager on the big game

between two unlikely sources. first meteorologist eboni deon. >> back in the midwest where the winter storm is brewing. chicago getting hit hard. it will eventually make its way to michigan as well, where we don't have a much needed moisture across the u.s. still a dry day shaping up, at least the first half of the weekend. as we go to the midwest the snow is coming down. we caught a few breaks, but we could end up with six inches of snow. the storm system making its way up north. we are staying in the clear around new york city. great news for the folks heading to the big game. a shower or two by then. for the most part of the bulk of the east coastline staying dry and mild. we'll keep the snow coming in. could see a little snow across

interior sections of the west. we are not expecting to see a lot. as we take you in to the most. it's mainly a lot of cloud cover. we are getting the moisture but not expecting to see the rain. that's when we'll have a better shot at seeing the rain and seeing the snow. to the deep south it's been a foggy start. thanks to the moisture that's been in place. a few light showers. it looks like a few spotty areas of drizzle. >> thank you so much. meanwhile, thousands of bets are made every year over who will win the super bowl. this year a few unlikely participants are getting involved. hughes eems in seattle and denver -- museums in seattle and denver are getting in on the action. paul beban is in denver, and allen schauffler in seattle. >> the denver museum is a jewel

of the rockies, the people are proud of their collection of western american ard. >> visitors to seattle's art museum are greeted by jonathan beroski's skull super hammering man, and a variety of travelling and visiting exhibitions, including an asian art museum that is so big it has its own building. >> just because we are talking about collections of art, it doesn't mean the curators are not sports fans. tell me about this piece. >> it's a bronco buster and an icon of the west. it's a star of the collection. that will look nice on splay in seattle. next to the sound of waves with the bird of pray, the sea hawk. that's what the seattle art museum is putting up. >> now, have you wondered what

art museum director sounds like, trash talking. here it is. >> fabulous magestic bird. large 6-panelled screen, bigger than life. >> it's sad the people of seattle will not enjoy it. >> it is sad, but they can come to denver, which is a great city with a great football team. >> man riding a bucking bronco, beautifully detailed and sculpted that we'll be happy to display. >> when the broncos win, they won't get to keep the screen. it will be on loan. >> the loser paying exhibit and shipping costs. which, for the bronze piece could add up to a bit. good luck in the art ball. >> thank you, i wish you meant it. sunday we'll find out which piece of art goes where and

which city ha its super bowl dreams swept away. >> trash talking in a museum hall. super bowl is attracting record gambling. sports books in nevada are expected to attract $100 million before kick off. this story of the survival comes from the top of a volcano, where a hiker was stranded. the weather came over so fast, he wasn't able to find his back pack. he had just the clothes on his back. park rangers rescued him after finding his carat the bottom of a track. >> if i had to walk down, i would have made it probably, but it would have been three or four days. >> alex says it will not stop

him going on another hig. >> an historic day for india, the country launching its first mono rail. after a lengthy administrative delay the first phase is completed. the new system to reduce computer congestion. we have this report. >> all aboard the monorail network. the first in india. the plan is to have eight lines, costing 3.2 million. >> the final capital has an old network. the strains are old and full most of the time. while the first face is

complete. it is under construction. tickets are affordable. air conditioned carriers and enough room for all. it may have been two years overall. >> translation: i never sat on a monorail. this was a nice experience. >> millions of vehicles use the roads, and this is a problem in a small area of 438 square kilometres. the alternative way to travel is by looking up. >> this has the capacity to car i up to 560 people. it feeds into the suburban mumbai railway networks, there are people close by that feel it doesn't benefit them. >> some residents are critical of the roots and locations for tagss. >> i live close to the monorail.

if you see where it's going to, i don't think it's connecting to the commuter, where they live and will work. >> the floorties say they have made the right choices -- authorities say they have made the right choices. >> most of the people are in those areas. >> the monorail is expected to carry between 150 and 300,000 of passengers. it's a significant number in a city of 20 million, the long-time hope is to change people's habits and perception ises of public transport in the capital. >> that's it for this edition of al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford, live in new york city. more news in 2.5 minutes. stay with us.

>> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt only on al jazeera america

>> chris christie in the hot seat as a lawyer says he did know about traffic closures, something that many believe was political payback for not supporting the re-election bit. opposition leaders from ukraine meet with the secretary of state john kerry in germ jeremy. into the -- germany. >> the white house and congress discuss sanctions. >> protests turn violent in thailand. they have been calling for the resignation of the country's prime minister. several are injured. president obama is reportedly planning on travelling to saudi arabia in march, a trip that is designed to mend relations with the long-time u.s. ally. officials say the president will

pacify concern over the soviet deal. >> a pipeline project between the u.s. and canada passed a hurdle. i'm morgan radford. those are the headlines head over to your website at aljazeera.com. >> i've said yes to a few opportunities that have come my way that could be taken as being